House Colors II

On a short bus ride home from work the other day, I sat with a neighbor and we had a lovely conversation. Topics included the mega-murder of crows that roosts downtown each evening, how to get reimbursed by the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services for a sewer backflow device, and the amazing clickable map of the HYDRA Rainfall Network. Then we somehow got to talking about the color of his house. I did a post about house colors before, so wanted to learn how he chose a color for his 1930’s-era home.

He worked with professional colorist, artist, and contractor Mary McMurray. “The money I spent on Mary’s color consultation was some of the best money spent on my new home especially when considering changing from pink to the blue/green/gray color I selected based upon the Atlas Cedar that is in the backyard and towers above the house.” Click here for some good pictures of the unusual color of the Atlas Cedar that inspired his choice. I took a few pictures on a recent dazzling morning. This is the tree that inspired him:

The house and some plantings reflect the tree’s blue/green/gray:

In the winter more of the landscaping color details are visible:

I never know what the next 15-minute bus ride will bring! This one made me appreciate walks through the neighborhood more than ever.